


of lipstick and sailor costumes

by sunshineofmylife93 (mercyinyou93)



Series: Connection is Everything [1]
Category: Strictly Come Dancing RPF
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, a bit emotional, if they ever read this i might just die, ranvanni own my soul, ranvir hiding her emotional turmoil by laughing at the sailor costumes, some light jamie-bashing, the semi final was a rollercoaster, writing men is hard when you're a lesbian so bear with
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:48:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28338708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mercyinyou93/pseuds/sunshineofmylife93
Summary: At the end of the semi-final you can see that Giovanni is sporting some bright pink lipstick, exactly the same shade as Ranvir's. This is basically filling in the gaps between Ranvir and Giovanni's jive and the end of the show.If you don't like fanfiction about real people, then this probably isn't for you.Otherwise strap in and put your Ranvanni hat on!
Relationships: Ranvir Singh/Giovanni Pernice
Series: Connection is Everything [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2075274
Comments: 37
Kudos: 63





	1. i

**Author's Note:**

> I really wrote this instead of the 12,000 words I have due for university. Enjoy.

Ranvir paced backstage, fiddling with the frills on her sailor’s outfit. Her heart thrummed in her chest. “Oh god, I’m _so_ nervous. I don’t think I’ve been this nervous since…”

“Cha-Cha-Cha?” Giovanni filled in for her. He looked over with concern, leaning against the wall. He looked ridiculously handsome in that outfit, Ranvir thought, despite her peals of laughter when he first put it on. She looked down at her own outfit, the frills of her skirt sticking out slightly oddly, and tried not to wince at the sight of her bruised legs.

“Yeah. At least I wasn’t dreading it then, though.” Ranvir said honestly. Giovanni stuck out his hand for her to hold.

“Stop pacing, you’ll get tired before we get called on. You remember the routine, yes?” he asked, taking Ranvir’s hand as she walked over. She squeezed Giovanni’s hand, but he felt it shake.

“Of course. It’s like I said to you, I was doing it in my bloody sleep. I don’t know. I just feel like this is it, somehow. And I wish it wasn’t.” Ranvir said. Her voice was smaller, and it came out more shakily than she intended. She felt herself blush under Giovanni’s gaze.

“Hm. Just enjoy, yeah? Get this over with, then we’ll practise the Waltz again until we get called on for results.” He said, moving his hand to place it on her waist, squeezing gently.

Ranvir blushed again – this was something he only did off-camera. On TV he would squeeze her shoulder, though Ranvir thought that the large number of kisses on the cheek or forehead between them seemed to contradict Giovanni’s coy hand placement. She’d seen the Twitter posts, the threads of pictures of them looking into each other’s eyes. She’d even seen comments on Instagram telling them to get married. As much as Giovanni hated the press, it felt redundant to try and hide things too much. His touch was a reassuring, grounding influence when she was stressed or anxious.

The runner ushered them over to the stairs, and Giovanni led her by the waist.

“Okay. Sorry if this goes horribly wrong.” Ranvir said, looking worriedly into Giovanni’s eyes. His gaze softened.

“Don’t worry. You’ve got this, baby.” Giovanni said quietly.

\--

After they received their scores and were ushered off stage to talk about their dance to the social media camera, Ranvir could tell that Giovanni was positively seething at the scores and comments. He’d been a bit distant since the judges’ comments and scores in the Waltz – actually, he’d been like that since they found out the running order. Ranvir knew it wasn’t directed at her, but after the scores in the jive, she found herself waiting for Giovanni to snap. She was aware that her anxieties were irrational – he’d never shouted at her in their months of training together, apart from in congratulation.

Normally, there’d be a bit of flirtation, perhaps a comment of _“My dressing room or yours?”_ , but this time they walked in silence to Ranvir’s dressing room. She felt tears brimming in her eyes as she sat down on one of the chairs, not bearing to look in the huge mirrors covering the walls. It was important not to mess up her make-up – they had to go back out there and sit at one of the tables for the rest of the show.

“Please don’t cry, baby.” Giovanni said softly. Ranvir felt his presence as he walked up behind her – slowly, so as not to make her jump, like he’d learnt way back during their first week of training. He massaged her shoulders gently, tilting her head to place a kiss on her neck.

“Sorry. I know I’ve let you down. You kept telling me how good I was getting during training but I…”

“It _was_ good. That’s why I told you. Two days to learn that dance – it was the best you could have done. I watched you – no steps wrong. With more time it would have been nine-worthy, but a five? Harsh.” Giovanni said. His words were soothing and tender, not the harsh vitriol that Ranvir had learnt to expect from others.

“Thank you. We’ll be bottom of the leader-board now, though.” Ranvir said miserably.

“I know. But whatever happens, we’ll get through it, yeah? Me and you.” Giovanni whispered. Ranvir looked at the pair of them in the mirror and giggled through her suppressed tears. “You’re right. Me and you.”

\--

For the rest of the show, they sat at a dimly lit table at the back of the audience. Giovanni kept his hand on Ranvir’s knee, his thumb stroking her exposed thigh. She dreaded the moment the show went off air: they would have to frantically change costumes and practise their waltz until the results show began filming. After each performance they clapped and cheered, despite the sting of high score after high score. Giovanni seemed unusually terse when Ranvir asked him what he thought of each dance. Although he was polite for the cameras, which whizzed around every now and then, when the applause was over his expression would change.

“What did you think of that?” Ranvir asked after Bill’s dance. Bill and Oti were in the Clauditorium, so Ranvir took her opportunity to put her head on Giovanni’s shoulder.

“Hm. Overmarked. He nearly hit the camera at one point.” Giovanni said quietly.

Maisie’s dance brought a tear to Ranvir’s eye – a beautiful dress, dreamy music, and perfectly executed choreography came together exactly right. Ranvir thought it deserved 30, and for the second time, her claps and cheers were loudest for Maisie.

“That was good.” Giovanni whispered, tracing a circle on Ranvir’s knee.

“Mm, it was. Thought it deserved thirty, but what do I know?” Ranvir responded.

Giovanni raised an eyebrow. “Would have got thirty without the guitar stuff. Imagine if I’d done that with the rolling pin. It was good, but your Viennese Waltz was beautiful.” He said. Ranvir blushed – Giovanni’s praise would always make her feel warm.

“I can tell you’re still sad.” Giovanni said. Ranvir had her eyes on the table during HRVY’s VT. Everyone had outshone her in the second dance, and the comments from the judges seemed more humiliating after what they’d said to everyone else. Giovanni’s hand found Ranvir’s waist, squeezing in a supportive and loving gesture which somehow made her want to cry even more. She knew HRVY’s Charleston was dead set for full marks.

“I’m sorry. Everyone else has been so good.” Ranvir sighed. Tears prickled in the corners of her eyes and she hastily brushed them away. Giovanni took her hand in his as she swept away a tear, holding it in his lap.

“Shush. You’ve done amazing. Such a beautiful Waltz – undermarked too – and your Jive wasn’t as bad as they said. Just not enough time to practise.” Giovanni insisted. Ranvir’s stomach twisted at the praise she felt was undeserved. Words were hard to find, so she settled on kissing Giovanni’s cheek. She loved how he always leaned towards her when she kissed him – it left no room in her mind for anxious ruminations about whether he really felt the same. A pang of worry fluttered in her stomach when she realised how slick the pink lipstick was, and immediately she tried to rub it off Giovanni’s cheek.

“Got my lipstick all over you. Sorry.” Ranvir said, rubbing her thumb over the soft patch of skin above his beard. It seemed to come off okay, staining her thumb pink in the process.

Unexpectedly, Giovanni turned his head and kissed her hard, their noses bumping in the darkened studio. He had never expressed his affection like this during the show – it was always too risky. Ranvir felt a pang in the pit of her stomach at the intensity of Giovanni’s kiss; his grip on her knee tightened as he pulled away. The VT finished and HRVY and Janette took to the floor.

“Stop saying sorry.” Giovanni whispered. Unsurprisingly, Ranvir’s pink lipstick covered his lips and the edge of his beard.

“Oh my god, you’re covered in my lipstick! Rub it off before the cameras come round!” Ranvir said. It came out as a sort of hushed exclamation as the music started for HRVY and Janette’s Charleston.

Giovanni smirked and attempted to scrub off the pink sheen coating his lips. Ranvir was grateful that they were sat at the back row of tables, far away from the view of the cameras. It allowed her to feel a bit choked up when the judges gave their comments and quietly resign herself to the disappointment of being bottom of the leader-board. The sheer embarrassment of the sailor’s costume she was wearing had resurfaced again, leaving her feeling uncomfortable and exposed.

These unsettled feelings did nothing to help calm Ranvir’s nerves at the prospect of the dance-off. She could tell that Giovanni was keeping his thoughts to himself, staying silent and stoic while her own inner turmoil was etched all over her face. Pretending that she was fine was a skill that Ranvir hadn’t yet mastered, certainly not to Giovanni’s level. His glazed, neutral expression was belied in his hands – he was fidgeting with the sparkly waistband of her dress and kneading the softness of her waist with his thumb. The feeling provided comfort and security while also reminding Ranvir that she was not the only one feeling nervous about the rest of the night. Her fear of letting Giovanni down was at the front of her mind above anything else.

\--

As they took their positions behind Tess and Claudia for the end of the show, Giovanni held Ranvir tightly, rubbing circles on her shoulder. While they were out of shot, Ranvir snuck an anxious gaze at Giovanni, leaning into him. It was only then that she noticed how much her lipstick had stained his lips. Giovanni was sporting bright pink lips, a smear into his beard, and an obvious kiss mark on his cheek, in the same garish fuchsia shade as her own.

The camera panned over to Tess just in front of them.

“You’re still wearing my lipstick.” Ranvir whispered, torn between amusement and anxiety in case it was picked up by any eagle-eyed viewers. Giovanni smirked beside her and bit his lip in an attempt to remove some of the lipstick.

“It’s still there,” She whispered. “Rather suits you, actually.”

The camera panned closer to Tess, so Giovanni replied with a smirk, his lips so obviously bright pink. He swayed to the closing music, wiggling his hips in a camp manner that made Ranvir giggle.

“I think I might wear it more often.” Giovanni whispered.

“Ah, now I know what to buy you for Christmas.” Ranvir replied jokingly, squeezing his waist.

The bubble burst as Tess gave the cue for the couples to take their positions. Despite Giovanni’s comical appearance in a sailor’s outfit and his lips smeared with lipstick, Ranvir felt a wave of emotions at how the evening had gone. From blushing at Giovanni’s praise and compliments during camera blocking and the dress rehearsal to nearly crying in the dressing room, the show had been a rollercoaster, though not really unexpected on her part. She had felt a lingering sense of doubt in training all week every time and seeing the footage for the jive on It Takes Two had made her cringe. Despite Giovanni’s kind words and rigorous training, Ranvir felt like she had still disappointed him. The man with the world record for jive kicks and flicks had achieved a mediocre 18/30 because of her.

The tender look in Giovanni’s eyes as he turned towards her only made things worse as he reached his hands out towards her.

Normally they would get into position a few seconds early and hug out of shot from the camera. This time, Giovanni’s touch almost brought Ranvir’s tears to the surface.


	2. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This follows on from the first chapter, filling in the gaps between the end of the show, the dance off, and afterwards.
> 
> Another chapter where Ranvir just needs a hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that the couples do in fact get to choose their song for their 'last dance', so let's assume that this stayed the same this year. I'm quite confident that R&G did get to choose the song, in this case, You're My Best Friend by Queen (some lyrics at the start of the chapter).
> 
> This chapter is a bit angsty again, but nothing major.
> 
> For clarification purposes, at the end of the chapter, Giovanni's texts are in italics and Ranvir's are in bold.

_You're my sunshine_

_And I want you to know_

_That my feelings are true_

_I really love you_

Back in her Waltz dress and mercifully sans sailor hat, Ranvir fidgeted in her chair. The door to her dressing room was shut and she was grateful for a few moments of quiet, away from the buzz of the other contestants who had fared better than her. Jamie, used to the prospect of the Dance Off, was yelping away a few rooms over. The sound was doing Ranvir’s head in. She was in no mood for excitement.

A light knock at the door made her jump.

“Only me,” It was Giovanni, his voice softer than usual. Ranvir dragged herself from the chair to open her dressing room door. “Are you okay? You look upset.” He asked, closing the door behind him. They stood awkwardly in the doorway as Ranvir's heart pounded against her ribcage.

Obviously he would notice, Ranvir thought. “Fine. Just worried.” She replied. It came out clipped and slightly wobbly.

Giovanni raised an eyebrow. “More than that.” he guessed.

“Yeah. More than that. I can’t stop thinking about how I’ve let you down… I just feel rubbish, really.” Ranvir sighed.

Giovanni pulled her into a tight hug, rubbing the small of her back soothingly. The weight in the pit of Ranvir’s stomach lifted as she squeezed back. She could feel Giovanni’s pulse in his neck as she rested her head on his shoulder; it was unlike him to be nervous, but Ranvir could tell that he hadn’t been his usual self all night. She hadn’t either – everyone else’s positivity had only made things worse, and because of all the extra content filmed during the training days, they hadn’t had a lot of time to themselves.

Ranvir pulled away from Giovanni’s embrace. “I’m so sorry about all of this. You know we’ll have to come second in the vote to not be in the dance off?” she said.

Giovanni’s hands found hers. “I don’t mind if we’re in the dance off.” He insisted.

Ranvir raised an eyebrow. “This is coming from the man who has ‘born to win’ tattooed on his arm.”

Giovanni held her gaze, tracing a pattern on the tops of her hands with his thumbs. “This isn’t about me.” He reasoned.

“Well, it is. You’ve worked so hard to get me here, and for what? To end up in the dance off when you deserve to be in the final?” Ranvir said sullenly.

“I’ve worked this hard for _us_. You deserve this too.” Giovanni pointed out.

“After tonight I’m not sure I do. God, look at Maisie. She did both dances perfectly. I just can’t do that, no matter how hard I try. Imagine what you could have done if you’d got her instead.” Ranvir said.

Giovanni squeezed her hands. “I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else.” He punctuated the sentence with a soft kiss, letting go of her hands to place his own on her waist. Ranvir’s brought her hands up to Giovanni’s shoulders, squeezing gently over the fabric of his suit jacket. It was a moment of bliss in the middle of a difficult conversation, which had been edging dangerously close to an argument. As unlikely as it seemed, the last thing Ranvir wanted was to fall out before the dreaded dance off.

Giovanni pulled away for air and tilted Ranvir’s head upwards with the gentlest touch of a hand. Although they were no strangers to such prolonged eye contact, Ranvir still had to will herself not to feel awkward after so many weeks. It was as though Giovanni could see every emotion coursing through her anxious brain, every flurry of doubt or guilt which so often materialised.

“Is this going to be one of those conversations where I have to convince you that you’re good enough? That I really do want this?” he asked quietly.

Ranvir nodded. “I hate that you can read me like a book.”

Giovanni pulled her into another hug, wrapping his arms around her tenderly and burying his nose into the springy curls of her hair. Ranvir snuck her hands under his suit jacket and rubbed his back.

Once they were back under the bright studio lights, Ranvir’s dread amplified tenfold as the music started up for Tess to read out the names. Giovanni kept a hand on her shoulder, only moving to clap when the other couples’ names were called out. After Maisie and Gorka and HRVY and Janette were called, Ranvir wished she was better able to hide her facial expression. Though her face was close to crumpling, Giovanni remained nonchalant for the camera. Ranvir could feel him breathing deeply beside her, however, keeping her shoulder in a vice-like grip.

\--

“Are you feeling confident about the dance off?” Giovanni asked. They were backstage again; Giovanni held Ranvir’s hand discreetly, using the material of her dress to cover their clasped hands.

“I guess.” Ranvir said. Their Waltz was so meaningful to her, with such beautiful choreography, a fitting song – she had sneakily googled the English translation – and a stunning dress which she knew Giovanni loved.

“I know you’ll be fine.” Giovanni said confidently, squeezing her hand.

Ranvir looked up at him, her eyes full of doubt. “Do you think so?”

“Of course. You danced beautifully the first time. Really made me proud.” Giovanni said. His compliments were comforting but Ranvir still felt like they were undeserved.

“I love dancing with you. There’s something so… easy about it, somehow. Like we’ve both got magnets on our right sides, or something.” Ranvir said, leaning into Giovanni. He brought their joined hands up from behind one of the godets in her dress and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

“You’re right, it is easy. No acting required.” Giovanni said softly.

\--

Their Waltz passed by in a blur for Ranvir. She had managed to dance again without any major hiccups, but she felt unable to relax as they took their positions next to Jamie and Karen for the judges’ decision. Her heart thrummed in her chest so hard that she could see it pounding just over the neckline of her dress. She couldn’t bear to look at Giovanni, who had a face like thunder from the moment Craig sent Jamie and Karen through, but she could feel his pulse as he gripped her shoulder. The next moments were almost unbearable; Ranvir hardly managed a smile when Motsi said their names instead. She heard the gasps from the rest of the cast as Shirley put Jamie through.

It had all been a bit too much to bear. Watching their ‘journey’ video brought Ranvir close to tears, and she found it hard to come up with something nice to say to Giovanni without saying how she really felt. Ranvir could tell from Giovanni’s stutters and anxious hands that he had the same problem. All Ranvir wanted was to have a good old cry on Giovanni’s shoulder, or for him to give her a proper hug, punctuated with a kiss, like she knew he would backstage.

\--

“I’m so sorry.” Ranvir said, slumped on her dressing room sofa. Giovanni leant against the wall, his hands in his trouser pockets.

“Stop saying sorry. _Please_. I’m not mad at you, Ranvir.” Giovanni said, sitting down beside her. He brought an arm around her, pulling her close, and kissed the top of her head.

“I can’t help it. I know you’d never, but I always get this looming sense of dread that I’m about to be shouted at. And I know it is my fault, really. I wish I’d been good enough to get us through.” Ranvir said quietly.

Giovanni kissed the top of her head again and held her tightly. “You _are_ good enough. Promise. I am angry, but I’m angry about the decision, the scores, the running order, even the dances we were given. But I’ll never be angry at you. This wasn’t your fault at all.”

“But if I’d just done better …”

“Stop it – you danced beautifully tonight. I’m so proud of what you’ve achieved. You deserved a place in the final so much.” Giovanni insisted. He stroked the side of Ranvir’s waist, bringing her closer to him so she could lean against his chest. Ranvir nestled her head just under his but felt a pang of trepidation at the possibility of someone walking in and seeing them like this.

“I know this is difficult for you, too. Jamie’s your friend – you don’t have to tell me I deserved to be in the final.” Ranvir said softly.

“Yes, he’s my friend, but you outdanced him every week. I’m telling you the truth, darling. As much as I like Jamie, he doesn’t deserve this. You know it, I know it, and I’m sure he knows it.” Giovanni reassured.

“Thank you. I think it’ll take a while before I believe you, but I appreciate it.” Ranvir said. She breathed a sigh of relief and felt her muscles ache.

“I’ll just have to keep telling you then, won’t I?” Giovanni said, squeezing her tightly in encouragement.

\--

That night, Ranvir took her time to get ready for bed. She revelled in the peace that a cup of tea and a book can offer. Her phone was tucked away under a cushion. The only notifications she left on were for WhatsApp: anything else could wait until the morning. Giovanni had been texting her from the moment they left in separate cars, sending kind, reassuring messages which helped to brighten Ranvir’s mood. It seemed that Giovanni always knew what to say to boost her confidence or make her feel loved. He also knew when to say nothing at all – sometimes his expression or a simple touch of his hand would tell her exactly how he felt.

As she turned the page of her book, Ranvir’s phone buzzed from underneath the cushion.

_So proud of you my darling. Get some rest, will see you on Monday_ 😘🥰🍸🍸❤️❤️ _xx_

Ranvir smiled at her phone. She wasn’t looking forward to the emotional turmoil of their final It Takes Two episode but knowing that she would be there with Giovanni made it okay.

She typed out a message on her phone and then deleted it, thinking for a second about what she really wanted to say.

**Thank you so much. Not sure I can face watching the results alone tomorrow – how do you feel about dinner at mine? Xx**

A reply pinged back almost immediately.

_Sounds perfect. Now sleep!! X_

Ranvir rolled her eyes.

**Ahoy sailor xx** 🍸🍸❤️❤️

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure most of us know this by now, but You're My Best Friend was written by John Deacon for (and about) his wife. Make of that what you will!
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has left kudos or a comment. It's thanks to you that I found time to write this!


	3. iii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a bit of domestic fluff set in between the results show and their final ITT appearance because we all deserve something nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally got round to finishing this after my uni deadlines!! in the last week I've written a policy report and two 5000 word essays! writing ranvanni has been very therapeutic for me, hence why this chapter became 2000 words of domestic fluff, so I hope you all enjoy this xox

On Monday morning, Ranvir woke up at her usual time of 3am, with the usual feeling of anxiety coursing through her brain. Her bedroom was flooded with darkness and she fumbled for the edge of the duvet, pulling it tighter to herself to evade the cold night air. She’d gone to sleep later than planned, partly due to the outpouring of love online after the results show had aired, but also partly due to the lovely Italian man in bed next to her. Giovanni was sound asleep, curled around her and resting his forehead against her upper back. Ranvir had no idea how he found it comfortable to be all crunched up like that, but the feel of his soft breathing against her back made her smile as she tried to relax.

As she shifted slightly to get comfortable, Ranvir felt Giovanni bring his hand around her waist, pulling her close to him.

“Morning, darling. What time is it?” he asked sleepily.

“Three, as usual,” Ranvir said, leaning into his warm embrace. “Sorry if I woke you.”

Giovanni ran his thumb along the curve of her waist. “Don’t worry. I normally get a text from you around this time, anyway. Go back to sleep.”

“I’ve got stuff to do. I’m on GMB tomorrow and we’ve got It Takes Two tonight. I’ll have to get up soon.” Ranvir said. Giovanni pulled her closer still, breathing in the scent of her hair. “You can sleep for a few more hours, surely?” he asked.

Ranvir snuggled into him. “Oh, alright. But it’ll show if I’m underprepared. I don’t want to be… you know, caught out.”

Giovanni burst into a fit of sleepy laughter. “News broadcaster Ranvir Singh being caught out on live TV? No way, baby. I saw you typing out that list of responses last night.”

“Well, you know what they say – proper preparation prevents piss-poor performance,” Ranvir said. “The six Ps. Or five, if Tushaan’s in the room.”

Giovanni laughed again. “I’m stealing that. Anyway, you’ll be fine, Ranvi. Zoe’s probably guessed by now. It’ll just be the usual sort of questions. And Susanna knows too, so she’s not going to be trying to catch you out.”

Ranvir thought through the list of responses she’d typed up after watching the results show. She could do subtle, and she could definitely do coy, but ultimately she that Piers and Susanna would only be asking the same questions as the public, even if Zoe would be a bit tamer. It didn’t matter what Ranvir said – she knew her body language could give her away. Giovanni was always so solid and so neutral in his expressions, giving very little away and shrugging off questions with a level of nonchalance that she had yet to master. The best she could hope for was to laugh off the more probing questions and pray that the camera was panned high enough to cut off her fidgeting.

“It’s just awkward, though, isn’t it? I don’t want to start doing all the ‘friends for life’ thing that everyone else does. I feel like we owe people a tiny bit of fanservice… Only a tiny bit, though.” Ranvir sighed. She’d fully woken up by now, her eyes accustomed to the total darkness of her bedroom.

Ranvir turned over to rest her head against Giovanni’s chest and he immediately brought her close, running a soothing hand up and down her spine. She relaxed into his touch. That was the thing about Giovanni – he was always a grounding influence. Waking up with thoughts of interviews on GMB and the dreaded It Takes Two had only worked up her nerves.

“You’ll be fine. I’ll be wishing you luck tomorrow, and we can go through our plan for It Takes Two later; over lunch maybe?” Giovanni said, placing a kiss on the top of Ranvir’s head.

Giovanni had somehow managed to cross off the second item on her mental list of anxieties. “Oh, er, thanks. I was hoping you’d want to stay.” She said softly into his t shirt.

“Ranvi, baby, of course I want to stay,” Giovanni said, matching her soft tone. “It’s part of the reason why I was so sad about not making the final – going from spending ten hours a day to… well, I don’t know.”

It had never really occurred to Ranvir that Giovanni might be feeling just the same as her. The precarity of their situation was something that they had yet to discuss – what would happen when they didn’t have to bubble anymore? When would they see each other again? Ranvir had spent many nights staring at the ceiling and coming up with all sorts of narratives for what might happen. It appeared that Giovanni was thinking the same, even if he didn’t show it.

“It’ll be weird, won’t it?” Ranvir said hesitantly. She wasn’t sure if ten-past-three in the morning was the right time to have such a serious conversation.

Giovanni breathed deeply beside her. “It will. But this week we’ll see each other. You know, on days where we’re not rehearsing for the final.”

That got Ranvir thinking. She had planned to take Tushaan for a trip into central London during the week for a much-requested haircut and to see the lights on Oxford Street – something fun and memorable that they could do together while also staying within the guidelines. She had facetimed him before Giovanni came round on Sunday and told him about the special treat she’d planned, and immediately he’d asked if Giovanni could come too. It made Ranvir’s heart swell to think of how much her son admired Giovanni – the man in question had taken it in his stride from the start, at first seeming quite bemused at how much her son adored him. Through weeks of facetime calls where her son begged to speak to Giovanni, it had quickly become mutual.

Ranvir sighed again, feeling unsure about how to broach the subject. “I meant to ask you – I’m taking Tushaan to see the lights on Oxford Street in the week and he asked me if you’d be coming too. I didn’t promise anything, but-”

“I’d love to!” Giovanni said instantly. Ranvir smiled into his chest, feeling relieved and content and _safe_ , all at once.

“Oh good, he’ll be so pleased! He loves you; you know. Utterly obsessed.” Ranvir said, smiling up at Giovanni, whose grin matched hers. He bent down to place a kiss on Ranvir’s forehead.

“He gets it from his mum, obviously.” Giovanni teased. That sentence alone gave Ranvir a serious case of butterflies – in this liminal space of the early morning, tucked up in her huge winter-weight duvet with Giovanni, it was like they were a real married couple. Like Paula and Patrick, except with a dog and an eight-year-old son. Ranvir blushed at how it had taken Giovanni absolutely no time at all to agree to spend time with her and Tushaan – he sounded genuinely excited. She tried not to think too much about what a good dad he’d be to Tushaan and filed away those thoughts and emotions to unbottle later.

\--

The morning had been spent taking Shmizzels on a very cold walk. Ranvir had sneaked a hand into Giovanni’s coat pocket and intertwined their hands, a gesture so casually intimate that she wouldn’t have had the courage to do a few weeks ago. She had never known silence to be so meaningful, but as they walked side-by-side, Ranvir felt like her heart was going to explode out of her chest. Giovanni seemed content too, leaning into her and shortening his stride so their steps matched, though Ranvir didn’t see the glances he’d been sneaking while she took in the views of the Chiltern Hills. When they got home, Giovanni pulled Ranvir into a hug and wrapped her into his coat to warm them both up. Their height difference was amplified without her dance shoes, and this meant that Ranvir could tuck her head just under Giovanni’s chin whenever they hugged.

A few hours later, Ranvir was confined to her home office, re-reading through her list of answers and catching up on news headlines. She replied to numerous text messages and DMs from friends, blushing each time one of her colleagues mentioned some sort of double entendre about her winning more than the glitterball. She mostly ignored any outright mention of Giovanni or any remark about their relationship, replying instead with a few choice emojis. A faint noise wafted through from the kitchen - Giovanni talking to Shmizzels in Italian - something so utterly amusing that Ranvir completely dissolved into laughter.

Lunch came in the form of a delightful pasta dish which Giovanni had insisted would be no trouble at all to cook. Ranvir sat at the table and read some more news while Giovanni cooked, bookmarking certain articles in case they were still relevant for her next proper appearance on GMB. She watched Giovanni over her laptop screen as he cooked – a sight that really indulged her wandering mind.

This was real Paula and Patrick stuff – a quiet day spent enjoying each other’s company, not worrying about cameras or stray journalists or what other Strictly contestants have put on their social medias. Giovanni’s presence was always so reassuring and despite their differences, they completed each other in a way that Ranvir had only seen in fiction. Their day together had been so domestic and peaceful that most of the doubts in Ranvir’s mind about whether they’d work together outside of Strictly had been squashed. Giovanni had some magical way of making her feel safe, loved, beautiful, sexy… the list could go on for ever. For the first time, as she watched Giovanni pay careful attention to a pan of pasta sauce, Ranvir really felt like she deserved this.

When Giovanni looked like he was nearly finished cooking, Ranvir wordlessly got up to lay the table, rummaging for the ‘grown-up’ sized cutlery in amongst Tushaan’s smaller forks and spoons. Giovanni had already put two plates into the oven to warm, having to reach for them over plastic bowls and plates emblazoned with cartoon characters. Ranvir flushed again when she thought about how this didn’t seem to bother him at all. Even though Tushaan was at school, and would be at his Auntie’s all evening, his presence was obvious throughout Ranvir’s house. The constant reminder of his existence was something Giovanni had taken in his stride ever since things had started getting serious between them.

“Do we want spoons and forks?” Ranvir asked, gesturing to the open cutlery draw. Giovanni gave the sauce a glance and turned to Ranvir, making just enough noise against the flagstone flooring to make sure she didn’t jump at his presence. As she picked out the second spoon, Giovanni wrapped his arms around Ranvir’s waist and hugged her from behind, breathing in the scent of her hair. She relaxed into his touch and let him place a kiss to her neck, feeling so different to the woman who would once instinctively flinch. Feeling bold, Ranvir turned around to face Giovanni, reaching up on her tiptoes to snake her arms around his neck and kiss him.

If it hadn’t been for the uncomfortable open cutlery drawer that she was leaning against, or Giovanni’s beloved pasta sauce, Ranvir was sure that they would have spent a lot longer like that. Instead, Ranvir let him go so he could dish up their lunch as she laid spoons and forks at their table places. She’d never seen someone look so proud of a pasta dish, but as she ate her first mouthful, she understood why.

“Wow, Sailor. You can cook that for me again.” Ranvir said, immediately reaching for another forkful. Giovanni smiled, his eyes twinkling in the afternoon sunlight filtering through the kitchen window.

“Oh yeah?”

“Definitely. And next time there might be three of us at the table… as long as you don’t mind serving that on a plastic Avengers plate.” Ranvir said, meeting Giovanni’s eyes with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well there you go!! thank you to everyone who has left kudos and/or commented, it means a lot and it has really spurred me on to keep writing!!
> 
> next up: something similar about the final and then mayyybe something about week 4? hmm

**Author's Note:**

> Skip to 1:35:00 in the semi-final on iplayer and watch through to the end with your brightness on full to see Giovanni's lipstick stains...


End file.
